Toy water gun



J. L. THOMSON Jan. 7, 1964 TOY WATER GUN Filed March 22, 1961 INVENTOR JAMES THOMSON Co-Km MPMU ATTORNEYS United States Patent M 3,116,855 TOY WATER GUN James L. Thomson, 1912 S. Main t., Normal, ill. Filed Mar. 22, 1961, Ser. No. 97,623 7 Claims. (G. 222-467) This invention relates generally to improvements in a toy water gun, and more particularly to an improved mechanism for discharging the water.

in heretorefore conventional water guns, the water is discharged in a continuous stream or jet. It is a major objective of the present invention to provide a toy water gun that discharges water in drops, or small quantities, in a realistic, bullet-like manner rather than in a stream or jet.

An important object is achieved by the provision of an impact chamber that is closed at one end by a flexible diaphragm, the chamber being provided with a valve port at the opposite end, and of an impact member adapted selectively to strike the diaphragm a sharp blow to depress the diaphragm in the chamber abruptly. This quick impact action shoots several drops of water out of the discharge orifice with considerable force and accuracy.

Another important object is realized by fixing the periphery of the diaphragm and by locating the reservoir inlet to the impact chamber adjacent the diaphragm periphery so that the diaphragm immediately covers and closes such inlet upon being struck by the impact member, thereby precluding any discharge back to the reservoir.

Yet another important object is afforded by the particular structure of the impact chamber so that it is of greater cross section at the end closed by the flexible diaphragm than at the end communicating with the valve port, and of the impact plunger head so that it is of substantially conforming figuration, whereby depressment of the diaphragm into the chamber is controlled or limited order to realize the bullet-like discharge action previously mentioned.

Still another important object is achieved by the pro vision of an elongate tubular casing supported by the impact chamber housing, the diaphragm extending across the rear end of the chamber and the front end of the casing, and of a plunger reciprocatively mounted in the casing. Means is provided for selectively retracting the plunger away from the diaphragm and for subsequently releasing the plunger, and a biasing means is provided tending to urge the plunger in a direction to strike the diaphragm a sharp blow.

Another important object is realized by providing a valve body that communicates with the impact chamber through the front valve port, the valve body being provided with a discharge orifice, and by providing a valve member for controlling flow from the chamber to the orifice, the valve member moving in the valve body to force water out of the discharge orifice and opening the valve port automatically to permit water from the chamber to replace that discharged from the valve body, all upon impact of the plunger with the diaphragm.

Other important advantages are realized by the structural arrangement of the various component parts of the water-discharge mechanism which provides an effective yet simple mounting for the diaphragm periphery between an impact chamber adapted to hold a small quantity of water and a cylindrical casing in which the plunger is reciprocatively mounted and guided.

Another important objective is to provide a toy water gun that is simple and durable in construction, economical to manufacture, efiicient in operation, and which is fully automatic and operable by anyone.

The foregoing and numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will more clearly appear from 3,l 15,855 Patented Jan. 7, 1%64 the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment, particularly when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a cross sectional view of the water-discharge mechanism as seen in a vertical plane passed through the longitudinal axis of the gun, showing the plunger in a partially retracted position;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary cross sectional view of the mechanism shown in FIG. 1, but illustrating the plunger striking the flexible diaphragm, and

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view as seen along lines 33 of FIG. 2.

Referring now by characters of reference to the drawing, and first to FIG. 1, it is seen that the toy water gun includes a gun casing generally indicated at it The gun casing 16 consists of a tubular body 11 in which the water-discharge mechanism is retained, a pistol grip 12 at the rear end having the conventional type of trigger guard 13, a barrel 1% at the front end through which the internal mechanism discharges fluid in small bullet-like quantities, and a support grip 15 extending below body 11 forwardly of the trigger guard 13.

The support grip 15 is constructed to provide a reservoir 16 for water. More particularly, the grip 15 is hollow and is closed at the top by a transverse partition 17. A plug 26 is detachably secured to the bottom end of grip 15, the plug enabling the reservoir 16 to be filled with water upon removal.

Retained within the tubular gun casing body 11 is a housing 21 that is formed to provide an internal impact chamber 22. As is best seen in FIG. 1, the impact chamber 22 is defined by a forwardly convergent wall so that the cross section of the chamber at the rear is greater than the cross section at the front.

Formed integrally with housing 21 is a front collar 23 in which a tubular valve body 24 is fitted and secured.

The valve body 24 includes a projecting nipple 25 hav ing a discharge orifice 26. The discharge orifice 26 communicates with impact chamber 22 through a valve port 27 formed in housing 21 at the front of chamber 22.

Located within the valve body 24 is a flat valve member 30 adapted to seat on the housing 21 and close the valve port 27. For reasons which will later appear, the valve member 3%) is a hexagon in configuration as is seen in FIG. 3, the points of the hexagon being disposed closely contiguous to the internal periphery of valve body 24 and the flat margins of the hexagon being arranged in overlapping relation to the housing 21 so that the valve member can effectively seal the valve port 2'7 when the valve 349 is arranged in its closed position. A compression spring 31 is located within the valve body 27, the spring 31 engaging the valve member 3% and tending to urge the valve member 3% toward such closed position relative to the valve port 27.

An elongate tubular casing 32 is carried by the rear end of housing 21. Specifically, one end of casing 32 interfits an annular collar 33 formed at the rear of housing 21.

Located between the housing 21 and one end of casing 32 is a flexible diaphragm 34, such diaphragm 34 having its periphery fixed relative to housing 21. The diaphragm 34 extends across the rear of impact chamber 22 and extends across the one end of casing 32.

The housing 21 is provided with an inlet 35 that communicates with the impact chamber 22 immediately adjacent the periphery of flexible diaphragm 34. The inlet 35 extends through an outwardly projecting nipple 36. A tube 37 is fitted over nipple 36 and is inserted through partition 17 so as to extend downwardly into the water reservoir 16. It is seen that the reservoir 16 communicates with the impact chamber 22 through tube 37 and inlet 35. For best operation, the open end of tube 37 is located near the bottom of water reservoir 16.

Reciprocatively mounted within tubular casing 32 is a plunger it? constituting an impact means, the plunger 46 being provided with an enlarged plunger head 41 that is forwardly convergent in configuration to conform substantially with the convergent configuration of impact chamber 22. A compression spring 42 constituting abiasing means is located Within tubular casing 32 and disposed about the shank of plunger 40. One end of compression spring 4-2 engages the rear face of the plunger head 41 while the opposite end of spring 42 engages the rear wall of casing 32. The spring 42 tends to urge the plunger 4%) in a direction so that the plunger head 41 strikes the flexible diaphragm 34 a sharp blow, thereby depressing the diaphragm 34 into the impact chamber 22 abruptly.

As is suggested previously the shank of plunger 40 is slidably mounted in the rear wall of casing 32 and is arranged so that the rear end 43 of such plunger 40 extends outwardly beyond the rear of casing 32. In order to cooperate with the trigger mechanism as will be described later, a right angle bar 44 constituting a hook is attached to the rearmost end 43 of plunger 40.

The trigger mechanism includes a trigger 45 supported within the casing by a pivot pin 46, the trigger 45 extending downwardly through the bottom of casing lltl into the region defined by trigger guard 13. A sear 47 is pivoted to the trigger 45 by pin 48. The sear 47 includes a notch Sll adapted to receive the downwardly extending end of plunger rod 44. A leaf spring 51 supported by the gun casing 10 engages the sear 47 and tends to urge the sear 4-7 upwardly. For reasons which will later appear, the sear 47 is provided with opposed camming margins 52 and 53 at opposite sides of the notch 59.

A stationary angular boss 54 is fixed to the gun casing It) and is located ahead of the trigger 45 and above the sear 47, yet behind the camming margin 53.

A torsion spring 55 is fixed to the gun casing 10, one end 56 of torsion spring 55 engaging a fixed pin 57 while the opposite end 60 abuts the trigger 45. The torsion spring 55 tends to urge the trigger 45 forwardly with a constant pressure.

It is thought that the operation and functional advantages of the water gun have become fully apparent from the foregoing detailed description of parts, but for completeness of disclosure, the use of the gun will be briefly described.

First, it will be assumed that the plug has been removed and the reservoir 16 filled with water, and the plug 29 subsequently replaced. Also it will be assumed that the discharge mechanism has been primed in a manner later described in detail so that the impact chamber 22 and the valve body 24 are filled with water. It will be noted that the spring 31 is holding the valve member 3i) against its seat so as to close the valve port 27. The discharge orifice 26 is open. This construction enables water to be retained in the valve body 24 in much the same manner that liquid is retained in a laboratory pipette.

As the trigger 45 is pulled back against the loading of torsion spring 55, the sear 47 retracts the plunger 40 in the casing 32 against the loading of compression spring 52. When the plunger 49 is retracted substantially to its rearmost position, the camming margin 53 on sear 47 engages the stationary boss 54, thereby pivoting the sear 4'7 downwardly against the loading of leaf spring 51 so that the plunger rod 44 is released from the sear notch 50.

Immediately upon release, the plunger 40 is urged forwardly under the action of compression spring 42 to strike the flexible diaphragm 34 and depress the diaphragm 3 abruptly into the impact chamber 22 as is best seen in FIG. 2. Water contained in the impact 4 chamber 22. is forced against the valve member 30 thereby causing the valve member 30 to move abruptly away from the valve port 27. Upon such movement of the valve member 36, water is forced from the valve body 24 and ejected through the discharge orifice 26 under considerable force in a small bullet-like quantity. At the same time, water from the impact chamber 22 flows through the valve port 27 and around the fiat margins of the hexagon valve member 30 into the valve body 24 to replace the water that has been discharged.

It will be importantly noted that because the inlet 35 is located very close to the diaphragm periphery, the diaphragm 34 will immediately close the inlet 35 upon being struck by the plunger head 41, and thereby prevent water from being forced back through the inlet 35 into the reservoir 16. This sealing action of the diaphragm 3 5 relative to the inlet 35 is enhanced by the convergent shape of the impact chamber 22 and by the cooperating convergent shape of the plunger head 41. Moreover, this particular convergent configuration of the plunger head 41 and the cooperating impact chamber 22 limits the forward movement of plunger 4e.

When the pulling pressure is released from the trigger 45, the torsion spring 55 moves the trigger 45 forwardly to its initial position. As the sear 47 moves forwardly along with the trigger 45, the camming margin 52 engages the plunger rod 4-4 and operates to cam the sear 47 downwardly against the loading of leaf spring 51. When the plunger rod 44 is aligned with the sear notch 50, the leaf spring 51 snaps the scar into operative engagement with the plunger rod 44, and the mechanism is then conditioned for another cycle of operation.

As the plunger 4d is retracted for the next shot, the flexible diaphragm 34 tends to return to its static position shown in FIG. 1 from its depressed position shown in FIG. 2. This movement of diaphragm 34 creates a partial vacuum in the impact chamber 22 which causes water to be drawn into the impact chamber 22 through the inlet 35 and hose 37. The impact chamber 22, the valve body 24 and discharge orifice 26 remain full of water without leakage.

When the gun is first filled with water, several strokes of the plunger 49 are usually necessary to exhaust the air from and to fill the impact chamber 22 and the valve body 24 with water. The gun can then be fired until it is necessary to replenish the water supply in reservoir 16.

Although the invention has been described by making detailed reference to a single preferred embodiment, such detail is to be understood in an instructive, rather than in a restrictive sense, many variants being possible within the scope of the claims hereunto appended.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a water gun, means providing an impact chamber, a fixed flexible means ext-ending across said chamber, means in communication with said chamber providing a discharge orifice, valve means controlling flow from said chamber to said orifice, means connected to said chamber for introducing fluid to said chamber, and an impact means movable toward or away from said flexible means, the impact means selectively striking said flexible means a sharp blow to depress said flexible means in said chamber abruptly so as to actuate said valve means and eject a small quantity of fluid out of said discharge orifice with force in a bullet-like manner.

2. In a water gun, means providing an impact chamber having a valve port at its front end, a flexible means fixed relative to said chamber and extending across the rear end of said chamber, means providing a discharge orifice in communication with said chamber through said valve port, valve means controlling flow through said valve port to said discharge orifice, means connected to said chamber for introducing fluid to said chamber, a reciprocatively mounted plunger moving toward or away from said flexible means, and biasing means tending to urge said plunger in a direction to strike said flexible means a sharp blow to depress said flexible means in said chamber abruptly so as to actuate said valve means and eject a small quantity of fluid out of said discharge orifice with force in a bullet-like manner.

3. In a water gun, a housing providing an impact chamber therein, a flexible diaphragm extending across the rear end of said chamber, the diaphragm having its periphery fixed relative to said housing, means providing a valve port at the front end of said chamber, means providing a discharge orifice in communication with said chamber through said valve port, valve means control ling flow through said valve port to said discharge orifice, a reservoir, an inlet to said chamber adjacent said diaphragm periphery, means communicating said reservoir with said inlet for introducing fluid to said chamber, a reciprocatively mounted plunger moving toward or away from said diaphragm, and biasing means tending to urge said plunger in a direction to strike said flexible diaphragm a sharp blow to depress said flexible diaphragm in said chamber abruptly so as to actuate said valve means and eject a small quantity of fluid out of said discharge orifice with force in a bullet-like manner, the diaphragm having a portion adjacent its periphery immediately covering and closing said chamber inlet upon being struck by said plunger to preclude discharge back through said inlet.

4. In a water gun, a housing providing an impact chamber that converges forwardly so as to be of greater cross section at the rear than at the front, said housing being provided with a valve port communicating with the front of said chamber, a flexible diaphragm extending across the rear of said chamber, the diaphragm having its periphery fixed relative to said housing, means providing a discharge orifice in communication with said chamber through said valve port, valve means controlling flow through said valve port to said discharge orifice, a reservoir, an inlet to said chamber adjacent said diaphragm periphery, means communicating said reservoir with said inlet for introducing fluid to said chamber, a reciprocatively mounted plunger moving toward or away from said diaphragm, and biasing means tending to urge said plunger in a direction to strike said flexible diaphragm a sharp blow to depress said diaphragm in said chamber abruptly so as to actuate said valve means and eject a small quantity of fluid out of said discharge orifice, said diaphragm immediately closing said inlet upon being struck by said plunger to preclude discharge back through said inlet.

5. In a water gun, a housing provided with an impact chamber therein, and provided with a valve port communicating with the front end of said chamber, a flexible diaphragm fixed relative to said housing and extending across the rear end of said chamber, means providing a discharge orifice communicating with said chamber through said valve port, valve means controlling flow through said valve port to said discharge orifice, means connected to said chamber for introducing fluid to said chamber, an elongate tubular casing supported by said housing, said diaphragm extending across one end of said casing, a plunger reciprocatively mounted in said casing for movement toward or away from said diaphragm, means for selectively retracting said plunger in a direction away from said diaphragm and then releasing the plunger, and biasing means tending to urge said plunger in a direction to strike said flexible diaphragm a sharp blow to depress said diaphragm in said chamber abruptly so as to actuate said valve means and eject a small quantity of fluid out of said discharge orifice with force in a bullet-like manner.

6. In a water gun, a housing providing an impact chamber having a valve port at its front end, a flexible diaphragm extending across the rear end of said chamber, the diaphragm having its periphery fixed relative to said housing, means providing a discharge orifice in communication with said chamber through said valve port, valve means controlling flow through said valve port to said discharge orifice, a reservoir, an inlet to said chamber adjacent said diaphragm periphery, means communicating said reservoir with said inlet for introducing fluid to said chamber, an elongate tubular casing supported by said housing, said diaphragm extending across one end of said casing, a plunger reciprocatively mounted in said casing for movement toward or away from said diaphragm, means for selectively retracting said plunger in a direction away from said diaphragm, means for releasing said plunger, and biasing means tending to urge said plunger in a direction to strike said diaphragm a sharp blow to depress said diaphragm in said chamber abruptly so as to actuate said valve means and eject a small quantity of fluid out of said discharge orifice with force in a bullet-like manner, the diaphragm having a portion adjacent its periphery immediately covering and closing said chamber inlet upon being struck by said plunger to preclude discharge back through said inlet.

7. 111 a water gun, a housing providing an impact chamber that is forwardly convergent so as to be of greater cross section at the rear than at the front, said housing being provided with a valve port communicating with the front of said chamber, a hollow valve body supported by said housing and communicating with said chamber through said valve port, said valve body being provided with a discharge orifice, a valve member in said valve body, resilient means in said body tending to urge said valve member in a direction to close said valve port, an elongate tubular casing connected to said housing, a flexible diaphragm extending across the rear end of said chamber and one end of said casing, the diaphragm hav ing its periphery fixed between said housing and casing, a reservoir, the housing being provided with an inlet to said chamber immediately adjacent the periphery of said diaphragm, means operatively interconnecting the reservoir with said chamber inlet for introducing fluid to said chamber, a plunger reciprocatively mounted in said tubular casing for movement toward or away from said diaphragm, said plunger having a forwardly convergent head conforming substantially to the convergent chamber, means for selectively retracting said plunger in a direction away from said diaphragm, means for selectively releasing said plunger, a spring in said casing engaging said plunger tending to urge said plunger in a direction to strike said diaphragm a sharp blow to depress said diaphragm in said chamber abruptly so as to actuate said valve member and eject a small quantity of fluid out of said discharge orifice, the diaphragm immediately closing said chamber inlet upon being struck by said plunger to preclude discharge back through said inlet.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 927,040 Hamilton July 6, 1909 2,081,253 Serre May 25, 1937 2,435,647 Engseth Feb. 10, 1948 2,566,487 Gora et a1 Sept. 4, 1951 2,628,450 Shelton Feb. 17, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 76,617 Denmark Oct. 19, 1953 136,062 Germany Dec. 5, 1902 811,367 Germany Aug. 20, 1951 

1. IN A WATER GUN, MEANS PROVIDING AN IMPACT CHAMBER, A FIXED FLEXIBLE MEANS EXTENDING ACROSS SAID CHAMBER, MEANS IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID CHAMBER PROVIDING A DISCHARGE ORIFICE, VALVE MEANS CONTROLLING FLOW FROM SAID CHAMBER TO SAID ORIFICE, MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID CHAMBER FOR INTRODUCING FLUID TO SAID CHAMBER, AND AN IMPACT MEANS MOVABLE TOWARD OR AWAY FROM SAID FLEXIBLE MEANS, THE IMPACT MEANS SELECTIVELY STRIKING SAID FLEXIBLE MEANS A SHARP BLOW TO DEPRESS SAID FLEXIBLE MEANS IN SAID CHAMBER ABRUPTLY SO AS TO ACTUATE SAID VALVE MEANS AND EJECT A SMALL QUANTITY OF FLUID OUT OF SAID DISCHARGE ORIFICE WITH FORCE IN A BULLET-LIKE MANNER. 